tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5960300128305591932024-10-04T20:56:37.745-05:00Where Beginning Fly Fishers Can Find Out What They Don't KnowJason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-9880897951772538162013-08-05T23:13:00.002-05:002013-08-05T23:13:37.486-05:00

It was a busy week and I didn't get a post written on Sunday.  I'm trying to keep writing every week so while this may be "mailing it in," here are some of my favorites from on the Sounds of Fly Fishing section in Peter Kaminsky's "The Fly Fisherman's Guide to the Meaning of Life ."  I hope you can appreciate these sections as much as I do.  I would highly recommend reading the

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-10030084265372667432013-07-28T22:57:00.000-05:002013-07-28T22:59:04.312-05:00

Last weekend the lack of foot wear that you could walk into the water with cost me landing a couple of nice trout.  In one case my dad couldn't get close enough to the fish to get it in the net before he got free.  In the other I couldn't find a spot to get close enough to the water to get the fish in the net.  As I was packing up all my gear I had decided it was time for me to get

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-79307857352146920212013-07-21T20:32:00.000-05:002013-07-29T21:24:10.445-05:00

This weekend I was able to go fly fishing for the first time in over a year.  It has seemed like even longer since on the most recent fishing trip prior to this weekend all I had caught was a rock.  And to top the trip off, they guys in my family were springing for it for my birthday. The guys took me to Westover Farms in Steeleville, MO.  This was the last place I

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-79185327966350073212013-07-14T22:20:00.000-05:002013-07-21T20:32:27.064-05:00

My fishing trip is set for next weekend and I almost forgot an important part of getting ready, making sure I know how to tie my knots.  It seems silly, but before every fishing trip I go on I always sit down and give myself a refresher on the knots I'll need to use.  I say it seems silly, but one trip I wasted 45 minutes trying to remember how to tie a perfection loop on a new leader.

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-23663716897830829262013-07-07T22:44:00.000-05:002013-07-21T20:32:40.884-05:00

Whenever you see fly fishing in movies it usually involves a vast expanse of river and casting great distances with perfect precision.  My experience has not included the vast expanse of river.  I rarely have the ability to cast the great distances and definitely don't have the perfect precision.  Most of my fly fishing has been on small streams and rivers.  And the casting

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-5989520956508416552013-06-30T21:49:00.001-05:002013-07-21T20:33:24.934-05:00

In getting ready for my first fly fishing trip in over a year I've been trying to refresh my mind on everything I used to know about fly fishing.  I've been thinking about casting.  Which knots should I use.  How should I approach the fish.  And then I thought about my fly fishing gear that's been sitting in it's case waiting patiently for me to bring them out.  You know,

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-13987283603663529472013-06-23T21:08:00.005-05:002013-06-23T21:08:51.837-05:00

So I finally have a fly fishing trip planned.  Mid-July I'll be heading to Westover Farms in Steelville, MO for a couple of days of fishing.  It's been a while since I've held a fly rod so I know I'll be rusty.  But I'm going to try to get in some casting practice before the trip.  Knowing  I need the practice two things have to happen.  I need to get rid of the

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-60717099948300590892013-06-16T12:16:00.001-05:002013-06-16T12:16:12.217-05:00

It's been a while since I've posted, mainly because it's been even longer since I've been able to go fly fishing.  But the baby is over a year old and summer is on it's way.  It's time to get back to fishing!  I'm likely to be rusty so I'll be reading up on what I've forgotten and getting some practice in. One thing I've been lucky about is that I've only had one hook catch in my

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-27044354737536898282011-10-28T08:30:00.000-05:002011-10-28T08:30:14.815-05:00

My first fly fishing experience was high sticking in the rolling streams of The Smoky Mountain National Park. Hiking and climbing the rocks and boulders to find a likely spot to flick your line upstream.  Watching tentatively, not sure if the dip of your indicator was from the bubbling on the surface of the water or from a trophy trout taking your fly.  Honestly, it was not what I

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-79156484797310150852011-10-21T05:56:00.002-05:002011-10-21T05:56:16.383-05:00

It's the middle of October.  The weather is starting to turn cold.  We've had temperatures in the 40s and 50s the past few days.  The leaves are finally starting to red, yellow and orange.  It really is starting to feel like Autumn has arrived.  And I... don't... like it!  I am cold-blooded.  I need all the external body heat that I can get.  We had an

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-1021768627332762672011-10-14T06:00:00.001-05:002011-10-18T06:07:53.200-05:00

I took the past few weeks off of writing any posts.  Work had gotten a little busy and it was easier to let the blog go for a while.  And along with being too busy to write I was also too busy to do any fishing, either. I did finally get to go fishing a couple of weekends ago.  My brother, Guy, and I went to Westover Farms in Steelville for a few hours on a Saturday morning. &

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-32576852906114095822011-09-02T06:20:00.001-05:002011-09-02T19:50:24.082-05:00

My first memory of fishing is from Fourth Grade.  A friend and I bought some bamboo poles, dug up some worms and went to a pond behind our elementary school.  Maybe there weren't any fishing in the pond, but didn't get a single nibble.  Honestly I think it had to do with the noise we were making and the fact that we pulled our line from the water about every thirty seconds.  

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-27285012265652838822011-08-26T06:55:00.002-05:002011-08-26T20:18:19.160-05:00

I was out of town most of this week. The only times I'm out of town without my wife I'm either on business or fishing. This week it was business. But I couldn't stop thinking about fly fishing. Where there any good streams nearby? What type of fly is the best for this area of the country? Would anyone really notice if I skipped dinner and went fishing? Since I wasn't actually able to go

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-63332743248480991512011-08-19T06:11:00.001-05:002011-08-19T06:11:58.101-05:00

After writing about my struggles with trying to fly fish for bass last week, I realized something.  Not only was my casting geared toward trout fishing.  My style of fishing was geared to trout fishing.  Let's make a comparison to hunting.  Do you hunt for deer the same way you hunt for ducks?  No, not at all.  Lake vs Forest.  Moving target vs stationary target

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-20029998055551685392011-08-12T06:46:00.000-05:002011-08-12T06:46:41.934-05:00

I went camping last weekend.  One of my friends lives out of the country, and when he and his family are back in town a bunch of guys take him camping.  The past few times have been on some private property on the Meramec River.  A friend of one of my friend's father-in-law has a campground set up on the river with chairs, grills, and even an outhouse.  We headed out midday

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-29232188300129259492011-08-05T09:32:00.001-05:002011-08-05T09:35:12.764-05:00

This is the final installment of tips and advice from 1001 Fly Fishing Tips.  Part 3 of the book review is actually from the last two parts of the book.  Part 3 from the book is Hatches and Seasons.  You'll find tips on determining what fly to use in a situation to advice on weather and competing outdoor sports (Boom! Boom!).  Part 4 is Travel, Destinations and Species Other

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-71889551541304950002011-07-29T05:35:00.002-05:002011-08-05T09:34:09.603-05:00

How do you keep your dry flies dry longer?  Do I really need a hook hone?  What's the best way to get your fly unsnagged?  Keeping your equipment safe and functioning properly is vital to catching fish.  No matter how long we've been fishing there is always advice or a tip someone may have that will make our day on the water less frustrating. This week is part two of the

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-54776621339123638252011-07-22T06:34:00.003-05:002011-08-05T09:34:41.591-05:00

When I received my fly fishing rod & reel for my birthday last year I also received the book "1001 Fly Fishing Tips: Expert Advice, Hints and Shortcuts From the World's Leading Fly Fishers."  I had a month before my first fly fishing trip. So I started reading. Great book! I think I read it three times in that month. The book is a collection of short tips on a large variety of fly

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-88407029822422317042011-07-15T05:24:00.002-05:002011-07-15T05:24:59.413-05:00

So you've decided to start fly fishing.  All you need are some flies and a rod and reel, right?  Then you start looking at fly fishing gear.  Yes, you need a rod and reel.  But you also need to get the right fly line, leader and tippet material.  And you'll need a some strike indicators so that you can tell when the fish are taking your fly.  And if you'll be

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-16209996319317887952011-07-08T05:40:00.005-05:002011-07-08T05:43:11.102-05:00

As a general rule, fly fishers are among the nicest people I have met. I've had complete strangers offer suggestions on casting and presentation. They've shared with me what flies are catching fish on that day. I've even been given the last fly someone had that they knew was catching fish. But I have met some rude fisherman... I've mentioned a couple of times how another fisherman cut a fly off

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-10149025512550028192011-07-01T05:21:00.000-05:002011-07-01T05:21:40.696-05:00

One of the gifts I got for Father's Day this year was the Orvis Fly Fishing App for my Android cell phone.  And I have to say that it's one of the best Father's Day gifts I've gotten.  More about that later.  But the Orvis App got me thinking.  This was the only App that I've paid for on my phone. (Yes, it was a gift.  But it's still the same bank account.)  Are

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-44455066247603477572011-06-24T05:08:00.000-05:002011-06-24T05:08:04.590-05:00

While fishing at Bennett Springs State Park two weeks ago, one of my goals was to practice a roll cast.  I hadn't yet done a successful roll cast on the water simply because I didn't know how.  Last August when I went fly fishing for the first time my brother had attempted to show me the roll cast, but whether from his not explaining very well or my not listening very well, I just

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-85650178213533452872011-06-17T05:58:00.000-05:002011-06-17T05:58:54.675-05:00

The Outlaw Fishing Trip started six years ago with my brother and brother-in-law.  Both of them were fly fisherman and decided to organize an annual fishing trip with the guys in our family.  My father, father-in-law, and my brother's father-in-law rounded out the group.  When my father ended up being the only one on the trip that wasn't somebody's in-law I started calling it the "

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-89406393636525294892011-06-10T07:19:00.000-05:002011-07-13T22:40:38.918-05:00

So I didn't make it down to Branson, MO last weekend.  One brother had to work late on Friday and we decided that the other brother coming from Indiana shouldn't have to endure sixteen hours in a car with a bad case of Poison Ivy.  Eight hours would be enough.  But we still wanted to go fishing Saturday morning.  So where could we go that would keep us close to St Louis? 

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596030012830559193.post-54723037480251239312011-06-03T08:38:00.001-05:002011-07-13T22:41:17.879-05:00

Last weekend was my dad's 70th birthday.  And today my brothers and I are taking him to Branson, MO for the weekend.  We're going to see a show, do some fly fishing and just have a good time hanging out.  But I wanted to plan something with just me and my dad to celebrate his birthday. Then a few weeks ago I saw a tweet from @thisisfly about Orvis Fly Fishing 101 classes.

Jason Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274891235802891325noreply@blogger.com2